'Our stock is rising'

Friday

May 23, 2014 at 12:01 AMMay 23, 2014 at 1:09 AM

STOCKTON - Mayor Anthony Silva expressed boundless optimism for Stockton, and City Manager Kurt Wilson announced that this fiscal year will end with a "small" positive balance after years spent battling financial insolvency that ultimately resulted in bankruptcy.

Roger Phillips

STOCKTON - Mayor Anthony Silva expressed boundless optimism for Stockton, and City Manager Kurt Wilson announced that this fiscal year will end with a "small" positive balance after years spent battling financial insolvency that ultimately resulted in bankruptcy.

The scene Thursday afternoon was a packed warehouse at the Port of Stockton. The event was the Greater Stockton Chamber of Commerce's annual State of the City address.

The feeling was markedly different from two years ago, when the event was held with the city weeks away from declaring bankruptcy. It also was different from last year, when Silva donned a gladiator helmet, brandished a spiked mace and beseeched Stockton to fight back.

"Our stock is rising," Silva said in a closing address that lasted less than four minutes, three-quarters of an hour less than last year's speech. "I'm advising you as your mayor to hold onto that stock because you're going to be pleasantly surprised.

"Stockton, California, a port city. Stockton, California, a waterfront city. Stockton, California, an All-American City once again. Stockton is open for business."

With the city's Chapter 9 trial recessed until June 4, Silva predicted Stockton will exit bankruptcy in the coming weeks and that it will be seen in the coming years as a place where it is easy to do business, where there are more high-paying jobs for residents, and where the homeless and those trying to reintegrate into society after serving prison time are given more opportunities.

He predicted a bustling marina, growth in the city's retail offerings, and more investment that will boost ongoing redevelopment downtown.

Silva actually spoke twice at his second State of the City event as mayor. He spoke briefly to introduce Wilson at the beginning, and at the end he closed the 16th annual event.

The format for this year's State of the City underwent a radical remake. At past events, the mayor was the lone speaker from City Hall. This time, Silva was joined by Wilson and Stockton Police Chief Eric Jones, and each member of the City Council spoke in a video projected onto a large screen next to the stage.

"Our executive committee made the decision to be inclusive," said Douglass Wilhoit, the chamber's CEO. "It shows it's a team effort. No one person can get this done. It's a team working together."

Wilhoit gave Silva's speech a thumbs-up.

"I think it was enthusiastic," Wilhoit said. "I think it was to the point. I think the mayor brought out that there are a lot of positive things going on."

During Wilson's speech, the city manager presented a PowerPoint titled "Chapter 9 to Chapter 1." He spoke of the trauma the city has endured in recent years and of the progress it has made to move beyond its financial straits.

He said that as the city moves forward, it will be vital that it remain fiscally prudent, that it not be overly optimistic when the economy is strong and dollars are pouring in, and that it remain focused on the long-term goal of ensuring a bankruptcy never happens again.

Wilson did not disclose the size of the city's positive balance for this year.

But he said it will be incumbent upon Stockton's leaders to be careful at a moment he called a crossroads between bankruptcy and solvency.

"There's going to be a real push for people to say, 'Hey, you've got money, quick, let's go spend it,' " Wilson said. "Our recovery is going to be slow. It's going to require a lot of discipline from a lot of people."

After Wilson, Jones spoke of anti-crime efforts in the aftermath of last year's passage by voters of the Measure A sales tax, which is projected to put 120 more police officers on the streets in the next three years. Jones also discussed elements of the city's Marshall Plan, which seeks to address the root causes of crime and to provide alternatives to recidivism. Jones cited crime statistics that began to improve in 2013, but he said the city still has far to go.

"We've made strides, but we must look at long-term trend lines, long-term solutions and plans," Jones said. "This requires something more than patience. It requires steadfast dedication. ... The single best deterrent to crime is a highly visible police force."

Jones said recent years have brought some of the darkest moments in the history of Stockton's Police Department, which was established in 1850. The city hit "rock bottom" in 2012, Silva agreed. Now, though, the mayor said Stockton's direction is clear.

"The city has been hard at work," Silva told his audience of community and business leaders. "We've made major progress in both finance and crime. We've turned this ship called Stockton in the right direction and set a course for greener pastures. Our stock is rising."

Contact reporter Roger Phillips at (209) 546-8299 or rphillips@recordnet.com. Follow him at recordnet.com/phillipsblog and on Twitter @rphillipsblog.